DOCSLIB.ORG

The Particle Tamerspage 16

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Particle Tamerspage 16 stay connected The magazine of ETH Zurich and ETH Alumni No. 2, June 2013 Focus Nano The particle tamers page 16 Alpine flora in tomorrow’s climate page 12 World-class meeting point for theoretical studies page 39 75 years of economic research page 46 No. 2, June 2013 Editorial Dear readers Theoretical research is deeply embedded in the history of to Macro” comes in. By teaming up with companies, our ETH Zurich. Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Pauli and Hermann goal is to ensure that basic knowledge flows into produc- Weyl are among the biggest names of the researchers who tion faster and that the potential of nanotechnology is have worked at our university, and whose contributions used more effectively in strategic partnerships with industry. have had a lasting impact on our world and the way we perceive it. As important as this research is, it is equally Nano research is very important at ETH Zurich. With the difficult to predict results. Often, the value of the research FIRST Lab and the Binnig and Rohrer Nanotechnology only becomes apparent years or even decades later. Center that ETH Zurich co-runs with IBM, we have an ex- cellent infrastructure at our fingertips and around eighty The good news is that ETH Zurich was recently fortunate professors from a wide range of departments conducting enough to receive two donations each in the amount of CHF research in the field. You can discover just how broad ETH 25 million to promote theoretical research. Thanks to this Zurich’s expertise is, and what individual researchers are ac- generous donation from ETH Zurich alumnus Max Rössler tually working on in the Focus section of this issue. Happy and the Walter Haefner Foundation (represented by ETH reading! Zurich alumnus Martin Haefner), we are now able to set up the new ETH Zurich Institute of Theoretical Studies (ETH- ITS). We will be inviting between four and six top scien- Ralph Eichler tists a year to work at ETH Zurich for periods of up to President of ETH Zurich twelve months. Through their exchange of ideas with our researchers, we envision that a kind of permanent world- class meeting place for researchers in the field of theory development will evolve at the ETH-ITS. My heartfelt thanks go to the two donors for their visionary dedication. In other research fields as well, the transfer of scientific results to commercial industries may prove trickier and more time-consuming than originally anticipated. A prime example of this is the gap between university research and industrial applications on the nanoscale. While research on a scale of billionths of metres is routine at universities, Open Systems gehört mit seinen Mission Control Security Services im Bereich IT-Sicher- the great expectations for industrial applications have not heit zu den europaweit anerkannten Anbietern. Wir arbeiten von Zürich und Sydney aus been fulfilled as yet. This is where ETH Zurich’s new stra- in einem dynamischen Umfeld in über 175 Ländern. Bei uns kannst Du Dein Wissen in tegic initiative “Manufacturing across Scales – from Nano einem jungen Team in die Praxis umsetzen und rasch Verantwortung übernehmen. Infos über Einstiegs- und Karrieremöglichkeiten sowie Videos findest Du auf unserer Website. www.open.ch 2 3 No. 2, June 2013 Inhalt Globe is also available in German and English in a free tablet version Imprint Globe is the magazine of ETH Zurich and the official organ of the ETH Alumni 6 34 42 Association. Publisher: Flashlight Zoom Profile ETH Alumni Association/ETH Zurich Editorial team: Freely formed concrete Bamboo: rock-hard iron The sustainability surveyor ETH Zurich, Corporate Communications: Roland Baumann (head), Christine substitute for the tropics Heidemann, Martina Märki, Felix Würsten Collaboration: How bamboo composites could Andrea Lingk (picture editing), Roman become an ideal alternative to Klingler, Peter Rüegg, Samuel Schlaefli imported steel in the cities of Advertisements: 9 ETH Alumni Communications, the southern hemisphere [email protected], +41 44 632 51 24 Fokus Nano Management: Ticker print-ad kretz gmbh, 8708 Männedorf, The latest from ETH Zurich [email protected], +41 44 924 20 70 Design: TBS & Partner AG, Zurich Translation: Benchmark, Berlin; Syntax, Zurich, The particle tamers 36 Angela Harp (Proofreading) 16 Printing: Inside Neidhart + Schön AG, Zurich 12 Circulation: ETH Zurich, the Swiss ambassador With his ecological footprint 24,000, issued four times a year. Report of science in Asia concept, Mathis Wackernagel Subscription: Alpine flora in tomorrow’s developed a handy yardstick Globe is available in a printed version in 50-million-franc donation for German by subscription for CHF 40 a year for sustainability. (four issues). Full membership of the ETH climate 18 29 a world-class meeting point Alumni Association includes an annual Globe subscription. Send orders and “Nowadays, nano- The secret of magnets changes of address to [email protected] or, for ETH Zurich alumni, go directly to research is routine” Structured magnetic nano- www.alumni.ethz.ch/myalumni. Further information and contact: Chemist Wendelin Stark, physi - materials are hot candidates for www.ethz.ch/globe, [email protected], the construction of compact, 46 +41 44 632 42 52 cist Klaus Ensslin and electrical 40 ISSN 2235-7289 more efficient storage media. engineer Christofer Hierold Anno Globe is also available in German and Connected English as a free Tablet version (iPad and discuss nanoresearch and what Checking the pulse of the Android). it accomplishes today. Swiss economy For the past 75 years, ETH Zurich’s Picture credits: Cover: Roland Tännler; Editorial: Giulia 30 Swiss Economic Institute has been Marthaler; Contents p. 4: (bottom left) analysing and predicting the ups Peter Rüegg/ETH Zurich, (top right) Roland Building the Tännler; p. 5: (bottom left) Susan Young Gardening for research: environ- 24 and downs of the Swiss economy. Photography, (top right) Tom Kawara; artificial cell Flashlight: Christian Breitler; Ticker p. 9: mental researchers take alpine Miniature material (top left) Peter Rüegg, (bottom right) plants down from the mountains In the project “Nanocell”, scien- Schweizerische Nationalbank; p. 10: design (bottom left) Roland zh/wikimedia, to lower elevations and transfer tists construct artificial cells (top right) Christian Wolfrum/ETH Zurich; How scientists elicit completely that perform particular tasks – Report p. 12: Peter Rüegg; p. 14: (top) them to their future climate in Peter Rüegg, (bottom right) Jake Alexander; one fell swoop. new properties from materials including vacuum-cleaning. 48 p. 15: Peter Rüegg; Focus p. 16/17: Roland Tännler; p.19: Tom Kawara; p. 25/ Alumni life 26/28/31/33: Roland Tännler; Zoom Skye blimp opens science festival p. 34: Guosen Machinery; p. 35: Alireza Javadian; Inside p. 36: Somayanda Impa in Boston “We need a change in culture”: Muthappa; p. 39: Peter Rüegg; Con- A change of leadership at nected p. 40: (top) Susan Young Photo- graphy, (bottom left) Angela Harp/ETH Experiencing what dedication 26 32 ETH Alumni Zurich; p. 41: (top right) Oliver Barten- can achieve schlager, (bottom left) Stefan Müller Understanding the The nanodetectives Agenda Arisona; Profile p. 43: Tom Kawara; A driving force in Africa Anno p. 47: (top left) KOF/ETH Zurich, basics better (top right) KOF/ETH Zurich and iStock- Using sophisticated analysis World premiere at the Future photo.com/assalve; Alumni life p. 48: methods, scientists are even Monika Estermann; p. 50: USGS EROS At ETH Zurich and IBM’s nano­ Cities Laboratory Data Center. research centre, researchers are capable of tracking down developing the foundations for miniscule particle concentra- miniscule electronic compo- tions. nents and more efficient photovoltaics. 4 5 No. 2, June 2013 Flashlight Freely formed concrete The distorted columns in ETH Zurich’s construction hall immediately beg the question: what sort of technique ena- bles you to produce building elements like these? After all, the production of freely formed concrete elements has until now always required complex and extremely expensive formwork into which to pour the concrete. This is precisely why a team of architects and construction material specialists set about developing a method to pro- duce geometrically complex concrete elements, efficiently and without any additional formwork. In doing so, ETH Zurich researchers rely on digital design processes, robot-assisted manu- facturing and the latest findings from materials research. To produce the columns, concrete was poured into a 60-centimetre metal pipe attached to the arm of an indus- trial robot. As soon as the concrete filling is solid enough, the robot grad- ually moves the pipe upwards and draws the concrete into the desired shape, adapting the speed to the hard- ening of the material. As the time win- dow in which the concrete can be pro- cessed in this way is very small, the scientists add an admixture to the concrete to specifically influence the flow behaviour and the progress of the hardening. Project “Smart Dynamic Casting”: www.dfab.arch.ethz.ch/web/d/ forschung/223.html ➔ 6 7 No. 2, June 2013 Ticker Deep geothermics Green light for initiative ETH Zurich has received CHF 10 mil- lion from the Werner Siemens Foun- dation to set up a professorship in Das weltweit tätige Schweizer Unternehmen deep geothermics. This means that it HUBER+SUHNER entwickelt und produziert Mit uns in die Zukunft. Komponenten und Systeme zur elektrischen und can launch its initiative for this prom- optischen Übertragung von Daten und Energie. Wenn Ihnen Ihre berufliche Entwicklung wichtig ist, sind Sie bei uns richtig. Mit Lösungen aus den Technologiebereichen ising energy technology as planned. Hochfrequenz, Fiberoptik und Niederfrequenz Deep geothermics is regarded as an Wir sind, wo Sie hinwollen. In der Schweiz, Europa, Amerika, Asien und beliefert HUBER+SUHNER Kunden in den Australien. Sie haben einen Abschluss in Elektrotechnik, Maschinenbau oder Märkten Kommunikation, Transport und Industrie.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Ecological Footprint Emerged As a Response to the Challenge of Sustainable Development, Which Aims at Securing Everybody's Well-Being Within Planetary Constraints
    16 Ecological Footprint accounts The Ecological Footprint emerged as a response to the challenge of sustainable development, which aims at securing everybody's well-being within planetary constraints. It sharpens sustainable development efforts by offering a metric for this challenge’s core condition: keeping the human metabolism within the means of what the planet can renew. Therefore, Ecological Footprint accounting seeks to answer one particular question: How much of the biosphere’s (or any region’s) regenerative capacity does any human activity demand? The condition of keeping humanity’s material demands within the amount the planet can renew is a minimum requirement for sustainability. While human demands can exceed what the planet renew s for some time, exceeding it leads inevitably to (unsustainable) depletion of nature’s stocks. Such depletion can only be maintained temporarily. In this chapter we outline the underlying principles that are the foundation of Ecological Footprint accounting. 16 Ecological Footprint accounts Runninghead Right-hand pages: 16 Ecological Footprint accounts Runninghead Left-hand pages: Mathis Wackernagel et al. 16 Ecological Footprint accounts Principles 1 Mathis Wackernagel, Alessandro Galli, Laurel Hanscom, David Lin, Laetitia Mailhes, and Tony Drummond 1. Introduction – addressing all demands on nature, from carbon emissions to food and fibres Through the Paris Climate Agreement, nearly 200 countries agreed to keep global temperature rise to less than 2°C above the pre-industrial level. This goal implies ending fossil fuel use globally well before 2050 ( Anderson, 2015 ; Figueres et al., 2017 ; Rockström et al., 2017 ). The term “net carbon” in the agreement further suggests humanity needs far more than just a transition to clean energy; managing land to support many competing needs also will be crucial.
    [Show full text]
  • ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AN]) Appropriathd CARRYING CAPACITY: a TOOL for PLANNING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
    ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AN]) APPROPRIAThD CARRYING CAPACITY: A TOOL FOR PLANNING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY by MATHIS WACKERNAGEL Dip!. Ing., The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ZUrich, 1988 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (School of Community and Regional Planning) We accept this thesis as conforming to the r ired standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA October 1994 © Mathis Wackernagel, 1994 advanced In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an Library shall make it degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the that permission for extensive freely available for reference and study. I further agree copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. (Signature) ejb’i’t/ Pios-ii’ii &toof of C iwivry Gf (i l r€dva k hi di’e The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Date O 6) ) DE-6 (2/88) ABSThACT There is mounting evidence that the ecosystems of Earth cannot sustain current levels of economic activity, let alone increased levels. Since some consume Earth’s resources at a rate that will leave little for future generations, while others still live in debilitating poverty, the UN’s World Commission on Environment and Economic Development has called for development that is sustainable. The purpose of this thesis is to further develop and test a planning tool that can assist in translating the concern about the sustainability crisis into public action.
    [Show full text]
  • (2017). Making the Sustainable Development Goals Consistent With
    PERSPECTIVE published: 11 July 2017 doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2017.00018 Making the Sustainable Development Goals Consistent with Sustainability Mathis Wackernagel*, Laurel Hanscom and David Lin Global Footprint Network, Oakland, CA, United States The UN’s Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) are the most significant global effort so far to advance global sustainable development. Bertelsmann Stiftung and the sustainable development solutions network released an SDG index to assess countries’ average perfor- mance on SDGs. Ranking high on the SDG index strongly correlates with high per person demand on nature (or “Footprints”), and low ranking with low Footprints, making evident that the SDGs as expressed today vastly underperform on sustainability. Such underperformance is anti-poor because lowest-income people exposed to resource insecurity will lack the Edited by: financial means to shield themselves from the consequences. Given the significance of the Federico Maria Pulselli, University of Siena, Italy SDGs for guiding development, rigorous accounting is essential for making them consistent Reviewed by: with the goals of sustainable development: thriving within the means of planet Earth. Fabrizio Saladini, University of Siena, Italy Keywords: sustainable development goals, SDG index, Ecological Footprint, biocapacity, sustainability, resource Siamak Sam Loni, accounting, resource security, poverty eradication Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI), Australia *Correspondence: INTRODUCTION: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Mathis Wackernagel
    [Show full text]
  • (2007). an Exploration of the Mathematics Behind the Ecological
    A. Galli et al., International Journal of Ecodynamics. Vol. 2, No. 4 (2007) 250–257 AN EXPLORATION OF THE MATHEMATICS BEHIND THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT A. GALLI1,2, J. KITZES2, P. WERMER2, M. WACKERNAGEL2, V. NICCOLUCCI1 & E. TIEZZI1 1Department of Chemical and Biosystems Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. 2Global Footprint Network, Oakland, CA, USA. ABSTRACT Introduced in the early 1990s, the ecological footprint has become a well-known and widespread environmental accounting tool. It measures human demand on nature and compares this to the availability of regenerative capacity on the planet. The method expresses human demand in terms of global hectares – i.e. biologically productive hectares with world-average productivity necessary for resource production and waste assimilation. Almost 15 years of research application and methodological advancements have made the ecological foot- print an increasingly robust theoretical framework, and it continues to be refi ned. This article documents the most updated footprint methodology and focuses on the mathematics that supports footprint and biocapacity accounts, as well as its underlying factors such as equivalence and yield factors. To clarify the meaning and the usefulness of footprint and biocapacity reported in terms of global hectares, an in-depth description of the units of measure is presented. Finally, the different research questions that emerge when reporting data in nation-specifi c hectares as opposed to global hectares are investigated. Keywords: actual hectares, biocapacity, ecological footprint, equivalence factors, global hectares, method, yield factors. 1 INTRODUCTION Ecological footprint analysis was fi rst introduced in the early 1990s by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees [1, 2] as an environmental accounting tool to account for demand on (ecological footprint) and supply of (biocapacity) renewable natural capital.
    [Show full text]
  • ANNUAL REPORT 2015 1 a HISTORIC YEAR in 2015, the World Took Remarkable Steps Toward Imagining a New Future for Our Planet
    GLOBAL FOOTPRINT NETWORK ANNUAL REPORT 2015 1 A HISTORIC YEAR In 2015, the world took remarkable steps toward imagining a new future for our planet. The first step came in September when the in a manner that does not threaten United Nations adopted the Sustainable food production.” This combination Development Goals. The goals strengthen of forces—consumption, deforestation, humanity’s commitment to well-being for all food production, emissions, population— on this one planet, regardless of income, underscores more than ever the value gender, or ethnicity. “Development” is of the Ecological Footprint as a tool that shorthand for committing to well-being accounts for all competing demands on for all. “Sustainable” implies that such the biosphere. The carbon Footprint is just development needs to fit within our one component of the Ecological Footprint. planet’s budget. The more comprehensive Ecological Footprint helps countries better understand The year then came to a historic close such competing needs as reforestation for when nearly 200 countries agreed to keep carbon sequestration, food, and timber global temperature rise below 2 degrees for everything from heat to furniture to Celsius. The Paris Climate Agreement paper. We will succeed when we address implies ending fossil fuel use before 2050. these competing demands on our planet’s The term “net carbon” in the agreement ecosystems as a whole. further suggests we need far more than just The race is far from won, but it’s a huge a transition to clean energy: Managing leap forward that, in 2015, scientists and land to support many competing needs national leaders agreed on the same finish also will be crucial.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconciling a Positive Ecological Balance with Human Development: a Quantitative Assessment
    Reconciling a positive ecological balance with human development: a quantitative assessment Lucia Tamburino1;2 and Giangiacomo Bravo3;4;∗ 1 Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education (IGDORE) 2 Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden 3 Linnaeus University Centre for Data for Data Intensive Sciences and Applications 4 Department of Social Studies, Linnaeus University, V¨axj¨o,Sweden ∗ Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Clear indicators and evaluation criteria are essential to keep humanity's environmen- tal impact within planetary boundaries. We introduce a new criterion based on two constraints, accounting for both ecological and human sustainability. The ecological con- straint is defined through a novel indicator, the eco-balance, grounded on the well known concept of ecological footprint and the new concept of population biodensity. The hu- man sustainability constraint is based on the estimated level of biocapacity consumption needed to achieve an acceptable level of human development. The application of our criterion to world countries shows where technological improvements and changes in con- sumption patterns are sufficient to reach sustainability, and where actions on population and/or restoring ecological capital are also needed. This highlights synergic patterns going beyond simplistic schemes, such as overconsumption vs. overpopulation or developed vs. developing countries. 1 Introduction To be sustainable, humanity needs to reduce its environmental impact below planetary bound- aries (O'Neill et al. 2018; Steffen et al. 2015). Humanity's total impact is given by the product of population by per capita impact, which in turn depends on the level of consumption and the adopted technology (Ehrlich and Holdren 1971; York et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Questioning the Ecological Footprint
    Ecological Indicators 69 (2016) 224–232 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ecological Indicators jo urnal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolind Questioning the Ecological Footprint a,1 b,c d d,2 Alessandro Galli , Mario Giampietro , Steve Goldfinger , Elias Lazarus , d,2 e,c d,2 f,∗ David Lin , Andrea Saltelli , Mathis Wackernagel , Felix Müller a Global Footprint Network, 7-9 Chemin de Balexert, 1219 Geneva, Switzerland b Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avanc¸ ats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain c Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain d Global Footprint Network, 312 Clay Street, Suite 300, Oakland, CA 94607-3510, USA e Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities (SVT) – University of Bergen (UIB) Norway f Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, University of Kiel, Olshausenstrasse 75, D 24118 Kiel, Germany a r a t i c l e i n f o b s t r a c t Article history: In this perspective paper a critical discussion about the concept of the Ecological Footprint is documented Received 4 January 2016 based on 10 questions which are answered from critical and supporting points-of-view. These key ques- Received in revised form 23 March 2016 tions are directed toward the underlying research objectives of the approach, a comparison with similar Accepted 4 April 2016 concepts, the quantification methodology and its accuracy, the characteristics of the observed flows, the role of scales and resolutions, the implementation of food security, the utility of the ecological footprint Keywords: for society, the political relevance of the concept and the differences from other international indicator Footprint relevance systems.
    [Show full text]
  • Constraints Rule a Finite Planet
    Global Sustain Yearbook 2015/16 INFO Sustainable Production & Consumption | Institutes & Networks Mathis Wackernagel, PhD is co-creator of the ecological footprint analysis and CEO of Global Footprint Network. He has promoted sustainability on six Constraints Rule continents and lectured at more than 100 universities. Awards granted to him include the 2015 IAIA award, the 2013 Prix Nature Swisscanto, the 2012 very day, more people share this goal would require reducing net the health of the region’ s threatened or the world represents what their Blue Planet Prize, the 2012 Binding-Prize for Nature Conservation, the 2012 a Finite Planet this planet. At the same time, carbon emissions to zero no later than assets by integrating environmental respective productive areas can renew, Kenneth Boulding Memorial Award, the 2011 Zayed International Prize for Epeople’s expectations for 2050. Yet others, such as OPEC in concerns into key development including forest lands, grazing lands, the Environment, an honorary doctorate from the University of Berne in 2007, comfort and better lives are rising. its 2015 World Oil Outlook, project decisions. The strategy’s objectives cropland and fishing grounds. the 2007 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the 2006 WWF Award for Both trends lead to a growing global increasing demand for fossil fuels also include ensuring a high quality of In order to compare all Footprints and Conservation Merit and the 2005 Herman Daly Award of the U.S. Society for Ecological Economics. From 2011 to 2014, Dr Wackernagel was also a demand for natural resources and over the next decades. But such a life for Mediterranean people without biocapacity across the globe, these services, including food, carbon Visiting Professor at Cornell University.
    [Show full text]
  • 2012 Blue Planet Prize: Announcement of Prize Winners
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 17, 2012 2012 BLUE PLANET PRIZE: ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRIZE WINNERS [Rio de Janeiro, Brazil] June 17, 2012 -- The Asahi Glass Foundation has selected Prof. William E. Rees (Canada) and Dr. Mathis Wackernagel (Switzerland) and Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy (USA) to receive this year’s Blue Planet Prize, the international environmental award, now in its 21st year. Two Blue Planet Prizes are awarded to individuals or organizations each year that make outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application in helping to solve global environmental problems. Professor Rees and Dr. Wackernagel were chosen for developing and advancing the Ecological Footprint, a comprehensive accounting system for comparing human demand on ecosystems to ecosystems' capacity to self-renew. Their approach measures human carrying capacity and helps assess the risks of overconsumption to planetary stability. Dr. Lovejoy was selected for becoming the first person to clarify that human-caused habitat fragmentation damages biodiversity and gives rise to environmental crisis. Dr. Lovejoy continues to be a global leader for environmental conservation. This year marks the 21st awarding of the Blue Planet Prize, the international environmental award sponsored by the Asahi Glass Foundation, chaired by Tetsuji Tanaka. Two Blue Planet Prizes are awarded to individuals or organizations each year that make outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application, and in so doing help to solve global environmental problems. The Board of Directors and Councillors selected the following recipients for this year. 1. Professor William E. Rees (Canada) Dr. Mathis Wackernagel (Switzerland) Professor, University of British Columbia, President, Global Footprint Network FRSC (Royal Society of Canada) Flying without a fuel gauge is dangerous.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Footprint Network ANNUAL REPORT
    Global Footprint Network ANNUAL REPORT 2014 1 Our mission is to help end ecological overshoot by making ecological limits central to decision-making. By promoting data, tools, and analysis linking resource constraints to economics and well-being, Global Footprint Network influences major investments and policy shifts to support global sustainability. Our vision is that all people can live well, within the means of nature. 2 SINCE OUR INCEPTION IN 2003, WE’VE ENGAGED IN 68 COUNTRIES ON 6 CONTINENTS TO MAKE ECOLOGICAL LIMITS CENTRAL TO DECISION-MAKING. 3 NATIONAL POLICY & DECISION MAKING The Ecological Footprint enables national governments to measure and manage their country’s ecological assets. By identifying risks associated with ecological deficits, Ecological Footprint accounting helps decision-makers set policy that safeguards resources and enhances economic prosperity. The foundation of all Ecological Footprint accounting at the national level is based on our National Footprint Accounts, Featured Country: Switzerland which track human demand In September 2014 we published the “Significance of Global on nature and our planet’s Resource Availability to Swiss Competitiveness,” a report capacity to meet that demand commissioned by five Swiss government agencies and co-produced for more than 200 nations. with BAKBASEL. We found that Switzerland’s relative income has been The Footprint Accounts use decreasing compared to the world. The Swiss resident now takes home more than 6,000 data points a 35 percent smaller share of global income
    [Show full text]
  • Beyond Uneconomic Growth, Vol. 2 a Festschrift in Honor of Herman Daly
    The foundations for an ecological economy: an overview Beyond Uneconomic Growth, Vol. 2 A Festschrift in honor of Herman Daly Edited by Joshua Farley Deepak Malghan Professor, University of Vermont, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of USA Management, Bangalore, India This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- ShareAlike 4.0 International License. © Joshua Farley and Deepak Malghan 2018 You are encouraged to share or adapt this work, with proper attribution. The creation of human knowledge is a social endeavor, and knowledge itself should be the common property of human kind. Suggested Citation: Farley, J., Malghan, D. (eds.), 2016. Beyond Uneconomic Growth, Vol. 2: A Festschrift in Honor of Herman Daly. University of Vermont, Burlington, VT. ii Contents List of contributors v Preface vi Ch1. The foundations for an ecological economy: an overview 1 Joshua Farley 1. An Interview with Herman Daly 1 Deepak Malghan 2. The emergence of ecological economics in theory and practice 18 David Batker Ch7. Denying Herman Daly: why conventional economists will not embrace the Daly vision 35 William E. Rees 3. The Triumph of Pareto: How Dominant Economics Distorts Reality and Perpetrates Hidden Values, and What We Can Do to Fix It 37 Gary Flomenhoft 4. What happens when an infinite-growth economy runs into a finite planet? 61 iii Mathis Wackernagel 5. Restructuring taxes to create an honest market 65 Lester Brown 6. Production in Context: The Concept of Sustaining Production 75 Sabine O'Hara 7. Herman Daly and the Steady-State Economy 107 Peter Victor 8. Socially sustainable economic degrowth 137 Joan Martinez Alier 9.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sustainability Surveyor
    No. 2, June 2013 Profile ETH Zurich alumnus Mathis Wackernagel The sustainability surveyor Felix Würsten With his concept of the ecological footprint, Mathis haven’t realised that in a physically limited world we can’t Wackernagel developed a handy yardstick for just increase our resource consumption at will. “In the past, sustainability and has been travelling all over the I always thought that while bricks and mortar could only world to promote his idea ever since. Rather be changed slowly and with great difficulty, ideas could be than a missionary, he sees himself as an engineer reconsidered from one day to the next,” he says, looking who objectively addresses the obvious. back. “Nowadays, I realise that’s it’s actually the other way round.” Mathis Wackernagel makes no bones about the fact that his The concrete figures reveal just how hard it is to change own ecological footprint is way above average. While he eats ideas and attitudes: on 22 August 2012 humankind reached vegetarian food with his colleagues at the office, cycles to the so-called overshoot day, the day upon which the work and lives in a relatively central house, all the flights he world’s population used up all the resources that the Earth takes to the four corners of the Earth throw his personal eco- balance completely out of kilter. He has only just returned to Switzerland from the USA to debate new ideas on sustainabil- “It’s no use people having a ity with students here at ETH Zurich. He was invited by ETH Zurich’s Sustainability Unit to be bad conscience.” the keynote speaker for the new series “Pioneers in Sus- Mathis Wackernagel tainability.” And Mathis Wackernagel is certainly a pioneer.
    [Show full text]